Fear Brings Gratitude
by kittyboolady1
Summary: When Hermione has a scary encounter with Draco Malfoy, she finds out how much he has done for her in the part. Short, mild threat and T to be safe. ONESHOT


It was dark and cold and it was Winter. These were just the conditions Hermione hated for Prefect Duty. In the dungeon. With Draco Malfoy. Who was late. Again. Then she saw him stagger into the dungeons, a young Ravenclaw girl behind him. Hermione simply raised an eyebrow, told the Ravenclaw to hurry to her dormitories and not to trust Draco.

As the young blond scuttled away, Hermione raised her eyebrows a second time and smirked at the snowy haired boy. "My, my, my Malfoy! Fifth Years, getting desperate, are we?"

"No, this year is getting out of stock. Now, Mudblood, still a virgin?"

I didn't flinch. "Bite me."

"And touch your infected skin, I think not." Draco smirked slightly as Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"Just because you're a Pureblood, you think you're so precious. Isn't it your father whose in Azkaban?" She sneered at him. Whoops. Draco pushed her against the wall, hard, making her back hurt.

"Don't piss me off, you rotten Mudblood. I can do and have done things you cant even imagine."

"I'm quaking in my boots." She mocked him slightly. She was pushed even further against the stone wall.

"You know, this year's getting out of stock but I haven't had you yet." Draco whispered, warm breath hitting Hermione's ear.

"Unlucky you. Now if you'd let me go-" Draco laughed cruelly at me.

"Let you go? Look around, Granger. We're in the dungeons. No one can here you scream." He licked her neck and Hermione shivered in fear. What was he going to do?

"Please, Draco, let me go." The fear in her voice made Draco's eyes soften slightly. He let go of her arms and Hermione slid down the wall to the ground, tears in her eyes.

Draco stared at the small creature below him. It was rather pretty and a straightening spell had sorted out the buck tooth freak she once was. Still a know-it-all though. "Hermione, I could never hurt you. My family has put you through too much of that already. I just wish you knew what I've done."

Then Draco left Hermione wondering about that day at the Malfoy house….

Hermione was wandering along to Potions, when she saw Blaise Zabini talking earnestly to Draco Malfoy, who looked at her, smirked and walked away to a different class. Hermione had remembered that Draco and Blaise were best friends, and so, ran to sit next to Blaise, shocking him.

"Why do you want to sit next to me, Granger?" Blaise asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow and smiling. Hermione had never minded Blaise, who had never been unkind to her, unlike Theo Nott, who she despised.

"I did Prefect Duty in the dungeons with Draco last night. We had an argument, he pushed me against the wall and-" Blaise raised his hand to stop her.

"Please tell me that he didn't do anything stupid."

"No, he let go eventually. But he said I didn't know what he'd done. And you're his best friend and I was wondering if you knew what he was talking about." Hermione wasn't shy but she wasn't terribly bold either, finding the whole thing slightly awkward.

"You just need to thank him. Believe me, Draco may act like a knobhead but he really isn't the lowest piece of shit in the world." At this, Hermione nodded, slowly smiled and started to write her essay on love potions.

It was a grey day but the bright green contrasted beautifully with the dark depths of the lake. There were daisies beginning to grow and Hermione smiled at the scenery. That was when she noticed Draco Malfoy sitting, legs stretched out in front of him. Hermione picked up her books and went to join him.

"Draco, Blaise told me to thank you." This caused Draco to smile slightly, Hermione had never seen Draco smile after third year.

"You're welcome. I suppose you're wondering what you're thanking me for." Hermione nodded and Draco sighed. "When you were tortured by Bellatrix, it was horrible. She left you so weak. I was told to 'take care of you.'"

The words made her shiver. "But I couldn't. You see Granger, I like to tease people so that I feel people are as miserable as me. I didn't like you but I couldn't kill you. You'd done nothing wrong other than be a Muggle. So I healed you and made sure you were better. They needed proof that I'd raped you. So I gave you scars that had never even been bleeding wounds, using magic."

"You wouldn't remember any of it because you were so weak. You were unconscious most of the time, it was horrible but you got better. Then I had to send Dobby to rescue you. My parents had trapped him in a cage that prevented him using magic. So I freed him and he saved you."

Hermione gaped and couldn't believe her ears. Draco Malfoy, king of her childhood teasing, had saved her life, her friends and possibly, by those small actions, the whole Wizarding World. Then she did the most unexpected thing in the world. She kissed him.

It was only short and when they broke off, Draco was smirking. Oh how she had hated that smirk before that day, but now she thought it represented all the misguided good in the world. "I'm pretty happy with my reward. Tell you what, Granger? I don't believe in all this Mudblood nonsense, now the word has been banned. Friends?"

Draco held out a pale hand. Hermione took it. "Friends."

And then Harry found out the truth and they became friends. And then Ron found out and was forever grateful that he had saved Hermione.

And then the world found out and the Malfoy name was held on high again. With gratitude and forgiveness, Hermione Granger had returned the favour and saved Draco's family and pride, with trust.

**Yes, that was cheesy but it was also, very fun to write. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. I made Draco and Hermione friends because I love Dramione but like Ron and Hermione too. R&R, please!**


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